Pak violates LoC ceasefire again; India retaliates

Pakistani troops again violated the ceasefire on the Line of Control in the Rajouri district of Jammu region on Saturday night.

A defence spokesman said Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing using small arms and automatic weapons to target ‘our positions in the Hamirpur sector of Rajouri district last night’.

He said, “Own response with similar calibre weapons.”

Saturday night violation came after a brief lull in the protracted such violations on the LoC since August 6, when Pakistani troops had intruded into this side and killed five Indian soldiers.

The bilateral ceasefire agreement which came into effect in November 2003 had been holding till early this year when two army soldiers were killed in the Poonch sector in January.

However, the spokesman said there was no damage in last night’s firing.

Meanwhile curfew was lifted from south Kashmir’s Shopian district after remaining in force for 16 days. The relaxation has so far remained incident-free.

Curfew was imposed in the town following killing of five persons, four in paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force firing and one in subsequent protests in the town.

The prohibitory orders were lifted on September 11, but curfew was re-imposed in the town next day following clashes between protestors and security forces which led to the killing of another youth, taking the toll to five.

The local residents had demanded registration of FIR against CRPF personnel involved in the killings and removal of their camp from Gagran in the town. The process of replacing the paramilitary personnel by Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police started on Friday.

The killing of five persons came hours before the high profile Zubin Mehta concert in famed Shalimar garden on September 7.

Police has now confirmed that one of the persons killed in CRPF firing at Gagran was a Lashkare Taiba militant. Ends